George: Local AM pledges support to improve care for terminally ill

A Mid Wales Assembly Member has pledged to champion the concerns of local people with a terminal illness by lending his support to a Marie Curie campaign calling for the right for everyone to have palliative care when they need it.

This week (17th November), Russell George, Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, joined the Marie Curie team at the Senedd to back their campaign which supports people living with any terminal illness, and their families.

Mr George also recently attended an event at the Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool (12th November) to celebrate the efforts of Marie Curie’s Welshpool fundraising group who have recently reached a significant fundraising milestone, having raised over £200,000 since their formation in 2011.

Mr George said:

“I was delighted to be able to celebrate the milestone which the Welshpool Fundraising Group have reached and to back the Marie Curie campaign to ensure that people who need palliative care services don’t miss out at the time when they need that care the most.

“In Montgomeryshire, Marie Curie has around eight nurses providing care and support, typically between 10pm and 7am. The work which Marie Curie Nurses carry out to care for and support people living with a terminal illness is truly outstanding. Therefore, to raise this huge sum of money for such a worthwhile cause is a fantastic achievement for the Welshpool Marie Curie Fundraising group. I congratulate the local group and all their efforts.

“For my part, I have pledged to help ensure that any constituents who have a terminal illness know what services and benefits they are entitled to; and to work with local NHS services to improve access to and quality of palliative care for those who need it.”

Simon Jones, Head of Policy & Public Affairs for Wales at Marie Curie, said:

“We are incredibly grateful to Russell George for supporting Marie Curie’s campaign.  Much has been done in Wales over recent years to improve palliative care services but we must all continue to work to ensure that everyone with a terminal illness, whatever illness that might be or wherever they live, gets the high quality care and support they need and deserve.”